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I'm having a hard time believing this is a Joss Whedon show. Even network meddling shouldn't be able to account for the portrayal of women episode after episode.
On the plus side, we finally got to spend a minute with a male active in the tabula rasa state (it was only a minute and in a scene that showed just how excruciating small talk can be among people who literally have no personality).
There were a lot more things on the minus side. Of the criminals Echo was working with as part of her safe-cracker cover, one was in her face and challenging her every move when she was being strong and assertive but settled into being kind and accepting when she was kicked into the tabula rasa state during the mission. Apparently he finds strong women threatening, but childlike women are far more acceptable. The other criminal observed the lightning fast 180 degree personality change in Echo when she went from safe-cracker to tabula rasa and chose to chalk it up to "Hysterical Woman Syndrome" as if there was such a thing. 'Cause everybody knows that women can't handle pressure, right? ::rolls eyes:: The capper was actually at the beginning of the episode when Echo was acting as a mid-wife to deliver a baby. The mother was having a hard time pushing her baby girl out and Echo said it was because the little baby had "linebacker shoulders." The father's immediate response was, "She's a lesbian?" What the hell? I know some Joss fans who have tried to reassure me that this is all leading up to something, but I can't imagine anything that could possibly justify a crack like that.
Meanwhile, the episode itself centered around a countdown. There was only a one hour window to rescue a helpless Echo before she'd be caught by patrolling guards. And yet, despite the ticking clock and both the physical and psychological threat to the main character, I felt no tension and generally couldn't have cared less about anything that happened in the episode.
Well, with one exception. Dichen Lachman continues to blow me away as Sierra. For an actress being given a showcase series, Eliza Dushku hasn't really risen to the occasion in any episode so far, and it was especially obvious in this episode where both Echo and Sierra were implanted with the same personality. Lachman made a much better Safe-Cracker Taffy than Dushku did. The show has a lot of issues besides the lead actress, but sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be just a little bit cooler if Dichen Lachman had been cast as Echo instead of Eliza Dushku.
And I wouldn't be a Stargate SG-1 fan if I didn't give a shout out to Tony Amendola (Master Bra'tac) as the Dollhouse's client of the week. I've never actually seen him in Earth clothes before. It was weird.
On the plus side, we finally got to spend a minute with a male active in the tabula rasa state (it was only a minute and in a scene that showed just how excruciating small talk can be among people who literally have no personality).
There were a lot more things on the minus side. Of the criminals Echo was working with as part of her safe-cracker cover, one was in her face and challenging her every move when she was being strong and assertive but settled into being kind and accepting when she was kicked into the tabula rasa state during the mission. Apparently he finds strong women threatening, but childlike women are far more acceptable. The other criminal observed the lightning fast 180 degree personality change in Echo when she went from safe-cracker to tabula rasa and chose to chalk it up to "Hysterical Woman Syndrome" as if there was such a thing. 'Cause everybody knows that women can't handle pressure, right? ::rolls eyes:: The capper was actually at the beginning of the episode when Echo was acting as a mid-wife to deliver a baby. The mother was having a hard time pushing her baby girl out and Echo said it was because the little baby had "linebacker shoulders." The father's immediate response was, "She's a lesbian?" What the hell? I know some Joss fans who have tried to reassure me that this is all leading up to something, but I can't imagine anything that could possibly justify a crack like that.
Meanwhile, the episode itself centered around a countdown. There was only a one hour window to rescue a helpless Echo before she'd be caught by patrolling guards. And yet, despite the ticking clock and both the physical and psychological threat to the main character, I felt no tension and generally couldn't have cared less about anything that happened in the episode.
Well, with one exception. Dichen Lachman continues to blow me away as Sierra. For an actress being given a showcase series, Eliza Dushku hasn't really risen to the occasion in any episode so far, and it was especially obvious in this episode where both Echo and Sierra were implanted with the same personality. Lachman made a much better Safe-Cracker Taffy than Dushku did. The show has a lot of issues besides the lead actress, but sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be just a little bit cooler if Dichen Lachman had been cast as Echo instead of Eliza Dushku.
And I wouldn't be a Stargate SG-1 fan if I didn't give a shout out to Tony Amendola (Master Bra'tac) as the Dollhouse's client of the week. I've never actually seen him in Earth clothes before. It was weird.
